Letter 29: After Your Charity's departure, the deacon from Nicopolis — the one who met you on the road — arrived in Rome.

Hormisdas to the bishops Ennodius and Peregrinus. After Your Charity's departure, the deacon from Nicopolis — the one who met you on the road — arrived in Rome. We delayed him briefly, considering whether there might be something we should add to the instructions for the mission entrusted to you. And as events proved, the delay was well justified. He presented to us a letter from his bishop, John, and another from the synod of the church of Nicopolis. They complain that the bishop of Thessalonica has stirred up both imperial and judicial authorities against them, subjecting them to severe harassment and financial penalties — all because John did not send the customary notification of his ordination to Thessalonica, following the old precedent. I am sending you the relevant documents. When you reach Thessalonica, present our letters to the bishop there and press firmly for him to stop these aggressions. The man returned to communion with the apostolic see; he should not be punished for it.

HORMISDA ENNODIO ET PEKEGRINO EPISC0PI8. Posteaquam profecta est caritas uestra, Nicopolitauus diaconus, qui uobis etiam occurrit in itinere, Romam uenit. quem praeter moram uidimus cogitantes, ne forte esset, quod ad instructionem mandatae uobis legationis adicere deberemus. quod et rationa- 2 biliter factum ipsa res euidenter ostendit. optulit enim nobis epistolam lohannis episcopi sui et aliam synodi subiacentis ecclesiae Nicopolitanae, qua queruntur ab episcopo Thessalo- nicensi excitatas aduersum se tam principales quam iudiciarias potestates, concussionibus et dispendiis se uehementer affligi propter hoc, quia de ordinatione sua ad episcopum relationem secundum prisca exempla non miserit. pro qua causa spera- uerunt, ut de remedio cogitare deberemus, consulentes etiam nos, utrum daremus eis licentiam relationem ad designatum 3 episcopum secundum consuetudinem destinandi. unde tracta- uimus et episcopum quidem Nicopolitanum admonuimus, ne tale aliquid audere temptaret, si nobiscum uelit in com- munione persistere, ne per illum, si ab eo, qui a communione nostra alienus est, confirmationem petisset, nostra quoque 4 communio contagium sustineret. haec uos, ut omnia sciretis, instruximus. quid autem propitio deo uobis de hac causa agendum sit, subiecta declarant. Data pridie Id. April. Agapito cons. 1 membra V 3 ap^ F 184. Dat (simul cum epp. 127, 133, 135) a. 517 die 12 Apr. Edd. Car. P 467; Bar. ad a. 517, 34; Collect. Concil; BTA I 403; Thiel 807. 13 iudiciaria F, corr. 25 quid p: qui V deus F, corr. p hac ex hec corr. V 26 apl:i V Epiat. CXXXin 7 — CXXXV 6. 557